Lazy Days A ShikaxTema Fanfic
by ZipherAvenger
Summary: A fanfic about the pairing ShikaxTema. Enjoy!     fanfic also on dA, so some coding for emoticons and what not are sometimes included in the chapters
1. Chapter 1: Conflicting Feelings

Hello, everyone! This is my official first fanfic on here ^^ Its going to be a story about ShikaxTema, my favorite Naruto pairing. This is my first time writing anything like this, so please bare with me. :) Anywho... on with the story!

Chapter 1: Conflicting Feelings

Shikamaru stuck his balled up fists in his pockets, sweat trickling down his neck. His face was still blank as always. He had to keep his feelings hidden from the public for now. Their relationship depended on it. Whether they were just friends or not, he didn't want to risk screwing everything up and Temari becoming angry at him once more. The young ninja had already made stupid mistakes in the past. Even though they were small, like not holding open a door her, she would always make a big deal about it. Shikamaru frowned at the thought, forgetting for a moment about his feelings toward the blonde-haired girl. Who knew that these sort of things could become so complicated? Sasuke made it look so easy to impress all the girls around him, even though he didn't give a damn about them in the first place. He could have had some feelings for Sakura, but they obviously weren't enough to keep him from going to Orochimaru.

All of these depressing thoughts were starting to take a toll on Shikamaru. His eyes were now narrowed and his lips curved into a frown. The young ninja just stood in the middle of the street, people passing by him without a second glance. No one dared to bother the boy with the green vest. For all they knew, he could have been figuring out what to do in a mission. Shikamaru glanced around at his surroundings once more before sighing and continuing onwards. His face was now back to being blank of any emotion. Just as the ninja passed the ramen stall, a blonde-haired boy wearing bright orange clothing came bounding up to him, a bowl of ramen clutched in his hands.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled with a grin plastered across his face, "What have you been up to?" he asked, slipping some more ramen into his already full mouth. Shikamaru sighed,

"Nothing, Naruto. Absolutely nothing."  
>"Wow. You sure do have a boring life, huh?"<br>"Shut up." Shikamaru seemed to growl. He had no clue how confusing his life was at the moment. "Well, what have you been up to then?" he quickly added, trying to turn the conversation around to involve Naruto's life instead of his own. Shikamaru could tell that he was going to slip his secret soon. It was only a matter of time.

Naruto swallowed what was left of the ramen in his mouth, a grin still on his face as he talked, "Sakura and I are planning on going out training with Kakashi. Just like old times." he then looked back over his shoulder at the ramen stall just as his stomach rumbled. Shikamaru couldn't help but smirk,

"Still hungry, huh? You must have two stomachs to be able to eat all that ramen."  
>"What? Of course not!"<br>"Well, just watch out. Becoming fat by eating all that food won't help you with your training all that much."

Naruto frowned and looked down at the bowl still clutched in his hands, "Yeah... I guess you're right. Well, I gotta get going. See you later, Shikamaru!" he yelled over his shoulder as he walked on back over to the ramen stall. Shikamaru just nodded and continued on walking down the street, soon getting lost in his thoughts once more. Pretty soon he was at his destination. He stood in front of a wooden door, leading into a rather polished-looking house. Shikamaru stood there, frozen, wondering what to do now. The person he had been keeping his eyes on was probably just a few feet away. The thought caused him to sweat even more. He took a deep breath and knocked three times on the door. Here goes nothing.

The young ninja heard soft footsteps on the otherside of the wooden door, some clicks, and the door squeaking open. There stood Temari, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What do you want?" she snapped. Shikamaru looked into her eyes calmly, his heart racing.

"We need to talk." he said simply, still feeling cautious around her. Temari's eyes widened, to Shikamaru's surprise.

"Well.. I don't know.. I have to leave pretty early tomorrow to go back to my village, and I need time to pack...-"  
>"What a drag..." he grumbled under his breath.<br>"Huh?"  
>"Nothing.. nothing... but can we please talk? Its important." Shikamaru insisted, staring into her eyes once more. He saw her hesitate, but nod. Temari stepped back to let him inside. Shikamaru nodded and walked in. He caught a quick glance at her, seeing a hint of pink in her cheeks. Was she nervous as well? Maybe because of the same reasons as his own? Shikamaru just shook off the thought and let her close the door behind them before walking down the hallway some more to a pretty bare room with a table in the center, a bag on its surface along with Temari's signature fan.<p>

The blonde-haired girl stopped near the table and turned around to face him, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well? What would you like to talk about?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at him once more. Shikamaru stood silent for a second, distracted by the way her eyes glistened in the room's light. Temari coughed, starting to get impatient, also taking him out of his little trance. Shikamaru licked his lips before muttering,

"I would like to talk about... us."  
>"Us...?" "Yes. As in where we stand in our relationship." Shikamaru said, a little more confident this time, to his own surprise. Temari's eyes widened in surprise as the pink in her cheeks returned, this time even more visible.<br>"W-well," she stuttered, lost for words, "I guess I consider us friends..."  
>"Are you sure about that?" Shikamaru murmured, suddenly approaching her until he was just inches away. Temari took a step backwards, bumping into the table. Shikamaru took another step forwards, staring into her eyes, seeming to have some sort of hold on her. He couldn't help but feel some satisfaction at seeing her like this... so unlike how she usually was. He knew not a lot of people could have an affect on her like that. Temari was now blushing fiercely, not looking away from his face. Shikamaru gently brushed his thumb along her jawline, causing her to shiver. He smiled slightly before murmuring softly, placing his other hand on her arm,<p>

"Well...?"

Temari broke their gaze and layed a hand on his chest, trying to push him away,

"Get out of my house!" she seemed to growl. Shikamaru sighed,

"Still as stubborn as always, it seems." "I said get out!"  
>"Not until you answer my question. Truthfully." Shikamaru murmured, refusing to budge.<p>

Temari let her arm fall to her side and sighed, looking down at the floor. He gently lifted her chin with his fingers until she was staring at his face.

"Please?" he whispered, suddenly realizing how much she had changed him, what affect she had on him. This all seemed too unreal. Temari sighed,

"Well... I..."

Bwahahahahaha cliff-hanger! :D

I hope you all enjoyed it so far! ^^ Any form of critique is gladly welcomed! I'm still pretty new to Naruto and, thanks to KagamineRin9001, I've been able to understand some basic info about the anime. Any tips would be really helpful! :) 


	2. Chapter 2: Runaway Love

Flashback time! (because I know ALL you Naruto fans out there just love 'em)

Temari let her arm fall to her side and sighed, looking down at the floor. He gently lifted her chin with his fingers until she was staring at his face.

"Please?" he whispered, suddenly realizing how much she had changed him, what affect she had on him. This all seemed too unreal. Temari sighed,

"Well... I..."

Chapter 2: Runaway Love

Shikamaru waited for her answer, his heart pounding in his chest. Would she confess her feelings, or just push him away yet again? He didn't know what he would do then.

"... I can't say, Shikamaru." Temari finally murmured after a few seconds of silence. He felt his body tense up as he took a step backwards, confusion showing in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked, almost dreading what her response would be.  
>"We're from two different villages. My loyalty is to my own, as yours should be only to your village. If the alliance between our villages doesn't last..." Temari let her sentence trail off. Shikamaru just sighed, sticking his hands back into his pockets. He shouldn't be surprised. Some part of him knew that this would be hard to do. He couldn't just expect that she would turn her back on her village and her brothers for some guy like him. Shikamaru shook the depressing thoughts from his mind. He couldn't just give up. He came this far. Before he could say anything, Temari walked past him and down the hallway to the door. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers barely touched the handle. The blonde-haired girl pulled the door open after a few seconds and looked back at Shikamaru, who was still standing in the same spot.<p>

"It would be best if you left." Temari murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. Shikamaru looked down at the floor as he walked past her.

"I'm sorry..." Temari whispered to him as he passed. He didn't say anything in response, just kept walking until he heard the door shut behind him. Shikamaru closed his eyes and groaned,

"Why does this has to be so hard? In books the girls always just fall heads-over-heels for the guy without question..."  
>"Well, that doesn't exactly happen in real life." Shikamaru heard a voice behind him call out.<p>

He turned around to see Ino standing a few feet away with a smirk on her face. Shikamaru frowned. He was not in the mood to talk with anyone at the moment, especially with someone else of the opposite sex.

"What are you doing here, Ino?" he asked calmly, his face now blank. She just walked closer to him until they were only a few feet away from each other. Ino still had that all-knowing smirk on her face as she replied,

"I was just heading over to the training grounds. Now its my turn to ask why you're here..." she said, glancing over his shoulder at the door he just walked out of, "...standing in front of the house that Temari stays in when she visi-."

"I was just walking down the street and decided to look up at the clouds." Shikamaru interrupted her, "I was thinking, thats all." Ino looked at him once more, taking her eyes off the door. A grin appeared on her face,

"Well, that definetly sounds like you." she murmured, the look in her eyes suggesting that she still didn't quite belive him, especially after what he said out-loud, "Do you want to come with me to train? Maybe it could take your mind off what you're thinking about thats got you so distracted recently." Ino asked, a serious-tone now back in her voice. Shikamaru shook his head,

"No. I'm busy at the moment. Maybe some other time." "Oh, well, I guess I'll talk to you later then." Ino waved over her shoulder as she kept on walking down the street. Shikamaru didn't move until the blonde-haired girl was out of his sight. He started walking in the opposite direction, deep in his own thoughts. If he wasn't more careful from now on, Ino and his other friends could start to become more suspicious. Shikamaru definetly didn't need that at the moment. He sighed and continued on walking towards his house. Maybe a nice nap would help clear his head...

Shikamaru woke up the next morning to the soft pitter-patter of rain against his bedroom window. He groaned and pulled the covers once more over his head, wishing to go back to sleep. The young ninja didn't want to face the real world again just yet. What Temari said yesterday still continued to run through his mind, even in his dreams. He couldn't take it anymore, just thinking about what they could have been if they had been apart of the same village. Shikamaru threw off his covers and sat up to glance out the window. Droplets of water decorated the glass, blocking a clear view of the outside world. Somehow it calmed him. For a moment he forgot about his troubles and just watched the rain, his usually hard gaze softening. Shikamaru looked away after a few minutes, staring down at his hands resting in his lap.

"What a drag..." he grumbled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to stand up. There was something he had to do today. Laying around feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to get it done. With that thought in mind, he started to get ready for the day...

And thats the end of Chapter 2! Hope you all liked it! :) 


	3. Chapter 3: Pouring Rain

Before you read this chapter, I suggest you listen to the song linked in the description ^^ Thats what I was listening to while writing this and the other chapters. I think it matched them pretty well. :)

Well, heres another flashback! :dummy:

Shikamaru threw off his covers and sat up to glance out the window. Droplets of water decorated the glass, blocking a clear view of the outside world. Somehow it calmed him. For a moment he forgot about his troubles and just watched the rain, his usually hard gaze softening. Shikamaru looked away after a few minutes, staring down at his hands resting in his lap.

"What a drag..." he grumbled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to stand up. There was something he had to do today. Laying around feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to get it done. With that thought in mind, he started to get ready for the day...

Chapter 3: Pouring Rain

Shikamaru stood just inside the doorway to his house, looking out at the rain. Now his plan didn't seem too great anymore. He didn't want to get wet. If only he had an umbrella. Specifically the umbrella that Naruto had borrowed a while ago and promised to give back the next day. The blonde-haired boy has still yet made the time to give it back, and its been a couple of weeks since then. How come he wasn't that surprised? Shikamaru sighed and glanced up at the grey clouds blocking the usually bright sun. Usually he would have complained about the sun hurting his eyes, but today he'd rather have sore eyes than dripping-wet clothes. Weather was just a troublesome bother at times in his life.

The young ninja grimaced as he took a few steps outside before shutting the door behind him. The rain had already succeeded in getting his hair soaked, and his clothes were already quite damp. The walk was definetly going to be a pleasant one. Shikamaru started walking down the street with his hands in his pockets, trying to keep them warm. Nobody else was on the rain-covered road. That wasn't very surprising. Whenever he took a step, his foot would splash into a puddle, making the bottom of his pants wet. The rain was even reaching him from down below as well as above his head. This was why he prefered to stay in on nasty days like this. Still, it would be worth it. Hopefully.

Shikamaru finally reached his destination, the house where Temari stayed during her visits. He had to at least try again before she left. By that time he was soaked from head to toe. He was also shivering slightly. Before he could think over what he was doing yet again, Shikamaru knocked on the door and waited, listening for any footsteps on the other side. Nothing could be heard during the minute afterwards. Shikamaru knocked again and waited another minute before sighing. The suspicions he tried to ignore were had already left for her village.

"What a drag..." he grumbled, glancing over his shoulder at the still-empty street. What should he do now? Just go home? The idea sounded tempting to him. At that moment his stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the other day. He could just stop off at the ramen stall before heading home. Shikamaru dug through his pockets to see if he had enough to pay for a bowl of ramen. To his surprise, he did. Shikamaru headed off down the road towards the ramen stall. Hopefully they would be open, even on a day like this. Soon, though, he was sitting down with a bowl of ramen in front of him. Just as Shikamaru was taking his first bite of it, he heard a rather familar voice call out behind him,

"Hey, Shikamaru!"

The young ninja looked over his shoulder to see Naruto standing there, fumbling to close an umbrella. Shikamaru's umbrella, to be exact.

"Enjoying being dry?" Shikamaru asked before taking a bite of the bowl's contents. It was starting to help him warm up.  
>"Yeah. I was just looking through my closet and found this! Lucky, huh?" the blonde-haired ninja said, grinning.<br>"Hmph." Shikamaru muttered through a mouth-full of food. He saw Naruto, out of the corner of his eye, sitting down in the seat next to him. A bowl of ramen was also soon placed in front of him. Shikamaru silently watched as he wolfed it down. He then turned back to his own bowl and continued to eat. There was a hushed silence between the two as they ate, too busy in their own thoughts to bother making conversation. As Shikamaru was about to finish eating, Naruto turned to him,

"So what has been on your mind lately?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"Ino mentioned yesterday that you were a little distant recently. Is it possibly about a girl?" Naruto suggested, a smirk now on his face. Shikamaru froze for a second, not knowing what to say. He was right about them becoming suspicious, after all. Some part of him had hoped that it was just Ino being.. well... Ino. Shikamaru took another bite of ramen before muttering,

"Of course not. I have too much on my mind to worry about things like that."  
>"Oh? Well... then what is it?" Naruto asked, refusing to let the conversation drop.<br>"Just thinking about a mission I have to go on soon." Shikamaru grumbled, hoping that the lie would satisfy him and stop the questions.  
>"Ahh ok." Naruto mumbled through a mouth-full of ramen, "Why are you all wet? Didn't you bring an umbrella?" he asked a few seconds later. Shikamaru sighed,<p>

"No, I don't have an umbrella at the moment. A friend of mine had borrowed it but forgot to bring it back." he hinted, hoping that Naruto would remember.

"Really? Well that sucks." Naruto just said with a smile, "If you want, you could borrow mine."

Shikamaru just stared at the blonde-haired ninja for a moment, barely believing what he was hearing. He then just shook it off. Its not worth it trying to get Naruto to understand.

"Sure..." he ended up muttering, taking the umbrella from him. Shikamaru stuffed the last of the ramen in his mouth and quickly payed for the bowl. He had to get out of there before Naruto started asking any more questions.

"Well, I gotta go. See you later, Naruto." he called over his shoulder as he walked out, opening up the umbrella. At least the walk home will be dry.

Well, thats it for Chapter 3! Hope you all liked it! :D 


	4. Chapter 4: Memories

Ffllaasshhbbbaacckkk Time! :la:

Shikamaru stuffed the last of the ramen in his mouth and quickly payed for the bowl. He had to get out of there before Naruto started asking any more questions.

"Well, I gotta go. See you later, Naruto." he called over his shoulder as he walked out, opening up the umbrella. At least the walk home will be dry.

-Chapter 4: Memories-

It had been a few weeks since the day Shikamaru had visited Temari. The blonde-haired girl had still yet visited Konoha during that time, like she usually did every once in a while. The Chuunin Exams were coming up soon, though. Hopefully he would then have a chance to speak with her once more.

Shikamaru was sitting on the grass of the Training Grounds, staring up at the sky as he thought. The training session with Ino and Chouji had ended only a few moments ago, yet the other two were already gone. Apparently Ino had to go help at the flower shop. Chouji hadn't really given a reason for why he had to go. Probably to go pig out on some food again. Shikamaru sighed and layed back, putting his hands behind his head. He still couldn't get Temari out of his mind. It was starting to affect his training. He couldn't stand the thought of some girl stopping him from doing the best he could to protect his village, along with his friends. This whole experience was too troublesome for his liking.

The young ninja continued to watch the clouds float by for a while longer. He finally sat up and sighed, a small frown shaping his lips. He had to do something about it. Shikamaru stood up and brushed some strands of grass off his pants before walking towards the direction of the streets. He paused for only a moment to look over at the river. Memories flashed through his mind about training here with the old Team 10, with Asuma and a cigeratte that always seemed to be sticking out of his mouth. Everything was so much simpler back then. Why couldn't it be like that now?

"What a drag..." he grumbled before continuing on through the trees.

Shikamaru was only a street away from his house when a loud voice called out to him,

"Shikamaru!"

He sighed, recognizing the voice immediately. Couldn't the blonde-hair ninja just leave him alone for once? Shikamaru turned around to see Naruto running towards him. His usual, stupid grin was plastered across his face. Naruto skidded to a halt in front of him.

"How was your training?"  
>" you been making time from eating ramen to train at all recently?"<br>"Well, yeah! I'm not like Chouji, Shikamaru." he chuckled, the grin still refusing to disappear.  
>"I don't think anyone is like him..." Shikamaru mumbled, "But at least he isn't as loud as you."<p>

Naruto just laughed,

"Yeah yeah yeah. Anyway, has anything been going on between you and Temari?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Shikamaru struggled to hide any look of shock on his face. How could Naruto have picked up anything like that? What Ino had told him a few weeks ago must have given him some sort of clue. No doubt she was blabbering about his training to the blonde-haired boy as well. He already got an ear-full from her during their training today. Damn women and their gossip.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Naruto." he finally replied, keeping his face blank, "Absolutely nothing is going on."

"Well... ok." Naruto said, still not looking too convinced. He then went on to describing this new technique he was working on. Shikamaru wasn't really paying attention. He just nodded at what seemed like appropriate times.

Shikamaru was soon able to slip away from Naruto, making an excuse about how he had some buisness to do for Lady Tsunade. He ended up walking along the road where the house Temari usually stayed at was. Everything was quiet. Nobody could be seen until the next block over, where people walked in every direction, continuing on with their daily buisness. The young ninja paused for a moment outside her door to stare at it, a frown once more on his face. He thought of what happened the last time he was there, about the confidence that he had then before Temari shattered it by mentioning their villages and why she refused to give her answer.

Shikamaru's hands balled up into fists as he tucked them into his pockets. Temari had this strange hold on him. It frustrated the young ninja. The feelings he got when he was around her or just thinking about her were rather confusing to describe. Longing? Hopefulness? Possessiveness? None of them could really describe how he felt. Shikamaru closed his eyes and sighed, now longing for a nap to help clear his head. Maybe playing a game of Shogi with his father will help.

He turned around in the direction of his house and only took a few steps before feeling something brush against his arm. Shikamau looked over his shoulder to see the girl, that had affected him for a long time, with her fingers now clutched tightly around his wrist. He then looked up at her eyes which seemed to be shooting daggers at him. What did he do now?

"Shikamaru..." she seemed to growl, her grip tightening.

And thats the end of Chapter 4! Hope you liked it! ^^ 


	5. Chapter 5: Confession

Flashback time! Yippee! :dummy:

Shikamaru's hands balled up into fists as he tucked them into his pockets. Temari had this strange hold on him. It frustrated the young ninja. The feelings he got when he was around her or just thinking about her were rather confusing to describe. Longing? Hopefulness? Possessiveness? None of them could really describe how he felt. Shikamaru closed his eyes and sighed, now longing for a nap to help clear his head. Maybe playing a game of Shogi with his father will help.

He turned around in the direction of his house and only took a few steps before feeling something brush against his arm. Shikamau looked over his shoulder to see the girl, that had affected him for a long time, with her fingers now clutched tightly around his wrist. He then looked up at her eyes which seemed to be shooting daggers at him. What did he do now?

"Shikamaru..." she seemed to growl, her grip tightening.

Chapter 5: Confession

Shikamaru looked down at her fingers clenched around his wrist before looking back up into her eyes once more.

"Yes...?" he questioned, trying to slip his hand out of her grip but failing to do so. Temari just narrowed her eyes at him. If it were possible, her fingers seemed to clench even more. Shikamaru resisted the urge to wince. This girl was scarier than his own mother.

"Why do you have to be so.. so... annoying!" Temari snapped, her eyes still glaring into his.

"Huh?"  
>"Just come with me."<p>

Shikamaru stumbled after the furious blonde-haired girl, having no choice since her grip hadn't loosened one bit. They were heading towards the house behind them where she usually stayed. Before he knew it, the two were inside the rather empty house. It was then that Temari let go of Shikamaru. He rubbed his finger against the mark that her fingers made against his skin. What had he done to make her so mad? Maybe when he had confessed to her all those weeks ago? She sure didn't seen this mad back then.

"Are you going to just stand there or what?" Shikamaru heard Temari yell at him. He looked up to see her already at the end of the hallway, peering in from another room. Since it seemed like he had no choice, the reluctant ninja headed down the hallway. He stopped at the entrance to the room with one hand on the side of the doorway, looking around. It was pretty much the same as he remembered it. Her fan was on the table with a bag resting on the floor beside it. A cup almost filled to the brim with tea was resting on the wooden surface. A pretty good-sized book layed beside it.

Temari sat down on one side of the table, crossing her legs beneath her. She then looked over her shoulder at him and gestured with her hand towards the space opposite of her. Shikamaru softly walked across the room and sat down, putting his hands behind him and stretching out his legs. A few moments of silence followed while Temari brushed her fingers across the book's cover before taking a sip of her tea.

"What is it that you need?" Shikamaru finally asked, getting impatient. Even so, he kept his voice calm. Becoming angry as well won't help the situation. In fact, it would probably cause her to become even more fierce. Temari looked up from the cup at him, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"I just wanted to catch up."  
>"So you dragged me here so suddenly just to 'catch up'?"<br>"You can say that..."

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to frown. This woman was just too confusing at times.

"Do you really expect me to believe you?" he asked, a small smirk now playing on his lips. Temari sighed,

"I guess not."  
>"Then whats the real reason?"<p>

The suddenly hesitant ninja took another sip of her tea, keeping her eyes on the table. Shikamaru just continued to stare at her, his gaze softening. When she wasn't yelling at him, Temari was a nice person to hang around and talk with. He just had to be careful around her, though. Just one toe out of line could cause her to show her fierce side without hesitation.

"I wanted to know if you meant what you said the last time we talked." she murmured, looking back up at him.

"You mean before you kicked me out?"

Temari just nodded in response and looked down at her cup. He must be imagining the hint of pink in her cheeks.

"Of course I meant it." Shikamaru said, shrugging like it was nothing, "I don't go around saying that sort of thing on a daily basis to just anybody."

Another moment of silence passed between them. Who knew this sort of thing could be so... awkward. The lazy ninja was right to have avoided it for so long. He didn't know if he could have handled it when he was younger. Actually, he didn't know if he could even handle it now. Especially with how confusing Temari was being. Shikamaru was snapped out of his thoughts when she spoke up,

"What if- er... What if I said that I felt the same way?"

Bwahahahahaha cliff-hanger! :3 And thats the end of Chapter 5! 


End file.
